Fusible release handle



Dec. 12, 1961 H. D. MUEHL FUSIBLE RELEASE HANDLE Filed July 5, 1960 INVENTOR. HERA/LON 1). Mum/L FULWlDEQ MATTINGLY 5 HUHTLEV ATTOQH EVS United. States Patent Ofiice 3,012,446 Patented Dec. 12, 1961 3,012,446 1 FUSIBLE RELEASE HANDLE Herman D.Muehl, 3756 Palm Ave., Lynwood, Calif. Filed July 5,1960, Ser. No. 40,638 4 Claims. (Cl. 74-519) This invention relates generally to emergency release devices and particularly to a novel fusible release handle for controlling valve operation of tank trucks or the like transporting flammable liquids.

One of the main objects of the invention is to replace the conventional valve handle controlling truck tank valves with a substantially integral interlocking handle having a pivot that is automatically loosened in case of fire to quickly release the handle and automatically close the tank valve.

Another object of the invention is in the provision of a valve tank handle composed of dual elements fixedly attached and held in interlocked relation by a metal body that is fusible at approximately 160 degrees to release the handle and automatically close the tank valve.

It is standard structural practice in valve control for trucks transporting gasoline or other flammable liquids to have a control handle or lever connecting the dump valve with a control rod remotely operable from the cab. In case of fire the control rod may be unapproachable or inoperative for manual closure of the tank valve and stop the flow of flammable liquid. The conventional tank valve is normally spring urged to a seated or closed position and it is merely necessary in an emergency to release the control rod connected lever or handle Applicant provides a valve control handle that simulates in overall configuration and normal operation the well known standard handle or lever. However, as shown in the present embodiment of the invention, the handle is made of two parts, a leverand a coinciding arm that are securely attached and interlocked. They forma substantially integral handle when a fusible metal body secures them into a sturdy united device. The fusible metal normally secures the loose pivotal connection between the lever and arm. In case of fire, the metal fuses and slight loosening of the pivot permits the cam-surfaced latching members to disengage and the lever to be moved clockwise under valve torque and the valve automatically seated to shut off liquid flow. The handle is sufliciently rugged towithstand the strain of truck travel with no danger whatsoever of releasing the normally rigidly interconnected handle elements.

Still another object of the invention lies in the manner of loosely pivoting and securing the handle parts together so that they coact as a unitary rigid lever.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a combined loose pivotal connection and latching mechanism that afiords an initial easy interlocking assembly that may be inter-connected thereafter to form a substantially integral structure by a fusible metal.

Still another object of the invention is in the connec' tion of the parts to prevent extension or sideward displacement when these parts are secured together by the fusible metal.

A still further object of the invention is in the provision of a release handle with dual parts that have a laterally secured loose pivotal connection at one end and a cam-surfaced latch connection at the other end, the elements being normally held in rigid, integral position by a fusible metal.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fusible release handle that is sturdy in construction, easily assembled and quickly disengageable in case of fire.

With the foregoing objects in view, and such other objects and advantages as will become apparent to those skilled in the art to which this'invention relates as this specification proceeds, the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts all as hereinabove more particularly described, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view showing a device embodying the present invention in operative position on a truck tank valve;

FIGURE 2 is a front elevational view of the fusible release handle in sealed locked position;

FIGURE 3 is a view similar to FIGURE 2 showing the handle in released position;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged partial elevational view showing the initial disengagement movement of the cam surfaced latch portions;

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 6 is a view taken on the line 6-6 of FIG- URE 3.

Referring to FIGURE 1 of the drawings, a device embodying the present invention is referred to generally as H. The handle H is shown in operative position of use on a standard truck tank valve V. The valve V is entirely conventional and all of the structural details have not been shown. A valve casing 10 is sealed at 12 in a lower section 14 of a standard truck tank used in delivering gasoline or other flammable liquids. A closure valve 16 is shown seated in full line and open in phantom line. The valve is always spring urged toward a seated position and can only be opened by movement of the handle H. The handle H is shown in open position by the phantom lines in FIGURE 1. The handle H is always urged to the closed position shown in FIGURE 1 by the torque exerted by the downward spring pressure on the valve 16.

A hub 18 on the handle H is keyed or otherwise se' cured to a shaft 19. that actuates the tank valve mechanism in the usual manner. A lever 20 flat sided at 22 extends from the hub 18. The outer end of the lever 20 has a substantially concave latching surface 24 formed therein. The outer edges of the latching surface or portion 24 are rounded at 26 and 28, respectively, to form an overall cam faced latching face or surface. The lever 18 has an elongated pivot slot 30 in its inner end adjacent the hub 18. The slot 30 is curved at 32 on its inner end and flattened at 34 on its outer end. The lever 20 which is preferably formed of brass has a longitudinally disposed ridge 36 cast integrally therewith. The ridge 36 extends around the pivot slot 30 as indicated at 38.

A control arm 40 is flat sided at 42 throughout a portion of its length to coincide with the fiat side 22 of the lever 20 as shown in FIGURE 5. A thicker outer end 44 of the arm 40 is apertured at 46 to receive a conventional control rod 48 remotely controlled from the truck cab or elsewhere. A ridge 50 is integrally formed on the back of the brass arm 40. A pivot pin 52 cast integrally therewith projects inwardly from the fiat sided inner end of the arm 40. Across lug 54 cast integrally with the pin 52 is formed and disposed in a manner to be engageable with the pivot slot 30 when the arm 20 is positioned at right angles to the lever 20. However, when moved through the slot 30, and the arm 40 placed in a coinciding position with the lever 20, the lug 54 is positioned across the slot 30 in a manner to hold the inner ends of the lever 20 and arm 40 from displacement. Near the outer end of the arm 40 in the thickened portion 44 thereof, a substantially convex latch and cam surface 56 is cast. The surface 56 is obviously adapted to engage and cooperate with the concave cam surface on the adjacent outer ends of the lever 20. A ledge 58 is integrally cast over the convex cam surface 56 and projects over the adjacent concave cam surface 24 in a manner to prevent sideward displacement of the outer ends of the lever 20 and arm 40 when maintained in a secured latched position. When the lever 20 and the arm 4a) are assembled in the position shown in FIGURE 5, they, are rigidly secured into a substantially integral unit by fusible metal 60 poured in the pivot slot 30 and against or about the pivot pin 52.

The operation of the device is simple. The lever 20 and the arm 40 are first assembled by'placing the arm 40 at right angles to the lever 20 so that the cross lug 54 may be passed through the pivot slot 30. The arm 4:0 is then moved to coinciding normal position as shown 1n FIGURES 1 and 5 A fusible metal such as solder is then poured into the slot 30 against and around'the pivot pin 52. Once hardened,-the pivotal connection is rigidly secured and the cam faced latching surfaces 24 and 56 are interlocked in non-displaceable position. The fusible metal prevents displacement by extension and the cross lug 54 and ledge-.58 prevent any sideward release. The handle Hnormally becomes an integral sturdy unit similarin'. configuration and use to the conventional single piece element. With the handle H attached to the valve V and'connected to the control rod 48-, it operates in a standard manner until emergency such as fire occurs.

The danger of fire is always present when the valve V is dumping the flammable fluid. In case of fire, the metal 60 fuses and the pivotal connection is loosened. Immediately the'latching members 24 and 56 are released and the cammed surfaces facilitate movement of the parts with the lever 20 moved clockwise by the torque created by the spring tensioned downward movement of the valve 16. The truck tank valve is thus automatically closed upon release of the handle lever 20 and control arm 40.

Since various modificationscan be made in my invention as hereinabove described, and many apparently widely different embodiments of same made within the spirit and scope of the claims without departing from such spirit and scope, it is intended that all matter contained in the accompanying specification shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

I claim: 7

1. An-emergency release device for tank valves, com prising: a valve actuating lever; a lever control arm underlying said lever in a manner to form a handle with a control rod attachment outer end; a loose pivotal connection between said lever and arm including an elongated slot in one end of said lever and a slot engaging pin on the same'end of said arm, said pin having a securing lug substantiallyconforming to but slidable through said slot;

rigidly securing said pin; and latching means releasable upon fusing of said metal, said latching means including cam-faced interfitt'ing substantially concave and convex surfaces on said lever'and arm. 7

2. An emergency release device for tank valves, comprising: a valve actuating lever having a flat side; a lever control arm having a coinciding flat-sided portion underlying said lever in a'manner to form an elongated handle; a pivotal and attaching connection between said lever and said arm including an elongated, slot inv one end of said lever disposed in a plane parallelthereto, and a pivotal pin on said arm havingalaterallydisposed lug slidable through said slot and movable to a cross position relative to said slotjto secure said one end of said lever to said arm; a body of fusible metal disposed in said slot to nor: mally rigidly secure said pin in said slot;,and latching means releasable upon fusing of said metal, said latching means including a substantially convex cammed surface on the end of said arm remote from said pin, said surface interfitting with a complementary substantiallyconcave surface formed on the end ofgsaid lever remote from said slot.

3. An emergency release device for tank valyes,rcomprising: a valve actuating lever; a lever control arm underlying said lever in a manner to form an elongated handle with a control rod attachment end; a, loose pivotal con: nection interposed between said lever andarm; a body of fusible material normally rigidly securing said pivotal connection whereby said lever and arm are normally rigidly interconnected; and latching means interposedbetween said lever and arm, said latching means being releasable upon fusing of said material. V

4. An emergency release'device for tank valves, comprising: a valve actuating lever; a lever control arm underlying said lever in a manner to form ahandle with a control rod attachment end; a loose'pivotal connection between saidlever and arm including an elongated slot in one end of said lever and a slot-engaging'pin on the same end of said arm; a body of fusible metal normally-disposed in said slot and rigidly securing said'pin within said slot; and latching means releasable upon fusing of said metal interposed between saidlever and said arm,said

' latching means including cam-faced'int erfitting substantially concave and convex surfaces on said lever and arm.

References Cited in the f le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,140,359 Creighton May '23, 1915 1,515,081 Toelle .7.... Nov. 11, 1924 

